Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Sunny Yokristen’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chyrsanthemum  plant named ‘Sunny Yokristen’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and full appearance; uniform and freely flowering habit; small daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets; pale yellow-colored ray florets and darker yellow-colored disc florets; natural season flowering in early October in the Northern Hemisphere; and good garden performance.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Sunny Yokristen.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially known as a garden-type Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunny Yokristen’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Shepherd, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,371. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of the cultivar Shepherd in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in April, 2002. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form, attractive floret coloration and good garden performance.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since June, 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Sunny Yokristen has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sunny Yokristen’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunny Yokristen’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plants.     -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Small daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped         ray florets.     -   5. Pale yellow-colored ray florets and darker yellow-colored         disc florets.     -   6. Natural season flowering in early October in the Northern         Hemisphere.     -   7. Good garden performance.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla. under natural season conditions, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the parent, the cultivar Shepherd, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about five days         later than plants of the cultivar Shepherd.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Shepherd         differed in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar         Shepherd had white-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Yellow Sandy, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,759. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla. under natural season conditions, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Yellow Sandy in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more compact and more         rounded than plants of the cultivar Yellow Sandy.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences         than plants of the cultivar Yellow Sandy.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about one week later         than plants of the cultivar Yellow Sandy.     -   4. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were lighter         in color than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Yellow         Sandy.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Ballino, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla. under natural season conditions, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Ballino in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were smaller and more rounded         than plants of the cultivar Ballino.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger inflorescences         than plants of the cultivar Ballino.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about ten days later         than plants of the cultivar Ballino.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunny Yokristen’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of the cultivar ‘Sunny Yokristen’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Leamington, Ontario, Canada during the late summer and fall in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial garden-type Chrysanthemum production. One cutting was planted in a 15.25-cm container in mid-July. During the production of the plants, plants were exposed to natural season photoperiodic conditions with day temperatures averaging 26° C. and night averaging 18° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Sunny     Yokristen. -   Commercial classification: Daisy-type garden Chrysanthemum. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of     Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Shepherd, disclosed in U.S. Plant     Pat. No. 13,371. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, year-round.—About four days at 21°             C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, year-round.—About ten to             twelve days at 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Perennial herbaceous daisy-type             garden Chrysanthemum. Inverted triangle with mounded crown;             rounded plant habit. Stems initially upright, then outwardly             spreading. Freely branching with lateral branches             potentially developing at every node. Moderately vigorous to             vigorous.         -   Plant height.—About 18 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 26 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 19 cm. Diameter: About             4.5 mm. Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Foliage description.—Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Length:             About 5.3 cm. Width: About 3.9 cm. Apex: Mucronate. Base:             Attenuate to truncate. Margin: Palmately and deeply lobed;             sinuses mostly divergent. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: More             green than 147A. Developing foliage, lower surface: More             green than 147B. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: More             green than 147A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface:             Close to 147B. Venation, upper surface: Close to 147A to             147B. Venation, lower surface: Close to 147B. Petiole:             Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close             to 146A. Color, lower surface: Close to 146B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with elongated             oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals             above foliage, arising from leaf axils. Disc and ray florets             developing acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences face             mostly upright or outwardly. Inflorescences mostly flat to             slightly cupped. Uniform and freely flowering; about 18             inflorescences develop per lateral branch. Inflorescences             persistent. Inflorescences not fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower in early October in the Northern Hemisphere.         -   Inflorescence bud (before showing color).—Height: About             4 mm. Diameter: About 5.5 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color (lower             surface of phyllaries): Close to 146A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3 cm. Depth (height):             About 9 mm. Disc diameter: About 1 cm. Receptacle diameter:             About 4 mm. Receptacle height: About 4 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong. Length: About 1.5 cm.             Corolla tube length: About 2.5 mm. Width: About 3.5 mm.             Apex: Emarginate to acute. Margin: Fused. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous; satiny. Surface: Concave to flat. Orientation:             Initially upright, then somewhat upright. Number of ray             florets per inflorescence: About 32 in about two to three             whorls. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface:             Close to 3C to 3D. When opening and fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 3D.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed.             Length: About 5 mm. Width, apex: About 1.5 mm. Width, base:             About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence:             Numerous. Color: Immature: Close to 9A to 12A. Mature: Apex:             Close to 12A. Mid-section: Close to 144C. Base: Close to             155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 22. Length:             About 6 mm. Width: About 3.5 mm. Shape: Deltoid. Apex:             Acute. Base: Truncate, fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             surface: Smooth, waxy. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent.             Color, upper surface: Close to 144A. Color, lower surface:             Close to 146A.         -   Peduncle.—Length: First peduncle: About 5.3 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 8.4 cm. Seventh peduncle: About 11.3 cm.             Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: About 40 to             50° from vertical. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther color: 9A to 12A. Pollen: None observed.             Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not     been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have been     observed to be have good garden performance and to be tolerant to     rain, wind and temperatures ranging from 0 to greater than 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Sunny Yokristen’, as illustrated and described. 